


Classical Civ Culminating

by Cherry_Sofa_729



Category: Original Work
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-11-12
Updated: 2020-11-12
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:47:45
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,355
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27526372
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cherry_Sofa_729/pseuds/Cherry_Sofa_729
Kudos: 2





	Classical Civ Culminating

Julia and Athena

The day was bright and clear, wind blowing from the south as Julia, daughter of the king of Tegea, third born and least beautiful, was brushing out her long, dark hair by the river. Suddenly, from very far off in the distance to the right, she heard the most beautiful music she could possibly imagine. It sounded like the heavens themselves had started singing just to bless her, the least beautiful of three. 

She was unused to attention, and greatly appreciated it. She listened to her own personal concert, all her worries satiated with the swanlike song. 

Until, unbelievably, another, equally beautiful song began to ring from the other side, to the left, just as gorgeous. The difference between the two was so small, only the great owl with it’s fantastic hearing would be able to tell which one was worse. 

However, Julia was able to pick up the slightest, tiniest difference between the two pieces of music, with the second being just a tiny little bit worse. But little did she know, the first piece was being performed by the great musician Orpheus, on his fantastical lyre. The hero was back from an adventure and was once again lamenting the loss of his love Eurphes. But, when the great god Apollo, son of Zeus, heard his beautiful music, and took it as a challenge. 

So, on the other side of the hill, Apollo took up his own lyre and began to play, determined to do better than the famous musical hero himself. After all, Orpheus got his famous musical talent from Apollo, so he was sure to draw the bigger crowd. 

Once Orpheus heard the other’s playing, he knew it could be no one but Apollo. No one else could match his musical talent. At the sound of a god challenging him, the hero couldn’t help but attempt to try and make his music even greater than before. 

People heard the two playing from all over the hills, and flocked to whichever musician they believed to be superior. Until, there was no one left in the area to choose a side but Julia. She would’ve chosen sooner, but she was indecisive, and spent so long doubting her own ears, that she was the only person left to decide the victory. 

For you see, there was a tie. An equal amount of people had gone to each musician’s concert. And in order for someone to win, poor Julia had to make the choice. She was unaware of this great decision until goddess Athena, Zeus’ favourite of his children, the wisest in all of Olympus, came down to speak with Julia. 

“You have a choice to make, daughter of the king. For you see, one lyre is being played by the great Greek Apollo, while the other is being strummed so perfectly, so fantastically, by the hero Orpheus. Now, you and I both know Orpheus is the superior musician but my dear, I beg you not to go to him. For you are the only one who can decide who is the better player, and you must hold true to your god’s wishes. Heed my advice, dear mortal, and bless Apollo with your presence and the victory he wants.”

Julia considered this for a moment. Just a moment, as soon as a leaf that dropped in the river a while upstream managed to reach her, she had made her decision. “Yes, fair goddess Athena.” Julia responded. “I shall let Apollo win, though let it be known that this is purely because of my devotion to the gods and not because of any sort of personal opinion I have. If it were up to me, I would run to Orpheus, for he is truthfully, the better of the two.

But I will not divert my faith, goddess, I will go to Apollo, no matter how dishonest it may be or how much it displeases me.”

And so she set off to where Apollo played. Athena gave her a small boat to cross the river and let her drift gently down the stream, asking the river gods and the west wind to carry her. 

But halfway down the river, as she approached Apollo, but not close enough for him to lay his godly eyes upon her, she suddenly felt wistful of music slowly fading out behind her back. The music of Orpheus grew fainter and fainter and she began to mourn the loss of the gorgeous melody. 

With a single decisive motion, she stepped out of the boat, which was quite near the riverbank so only the ends of her tunic got wet as she walked to land and headed in the direction of Orpheus. 

Her heart filled with adoration for the sound as it began to draw closer and the music of Apollo faded behind her. She ran up the path, over the bridge and into the town where Orpheus played. And as she crossed into the town square, Athena, who had been watching her, invisible, the whole time, because she did not trust the girl, knew she had failed to listen to her advice. 

In a burst of rage she ran off to Apollo, intent on telling him the great betrayal he had experienced. Julia had made the conscious choice to turn to a mortal man, when she could’ve stayed true to the gods. What’s more, Julia had failed to heed a goddess’ advice, a punishable offence. 

So Athena ran off to Apollo to get his advice on what to do with this mortal. 

As she approached, she clapped her hands for the god’s performance. Apollo saw his sister and bent into a deep bow. 

“Dearest sister, are you here to cheer on the best musician in the land?” 

“Why, of course I am, Apollo, for you are easily the superior among yourself and Orpheus. But, I fear that a mortal woman does not feel the same way. You see, I told her that you were the best choice, if she were to pick which concert to go to, but she refused my advice and went to that bastard Orpheus’ concert instead. She betrayed both my advice as well as your faith and skill in your craft. She deserves to be punished for thinking she could spite us and believing that my advice is worthless.”

“Oh of course, Athena, for you are the goddess of wisdom your advice should always be heeded. Especially when you are giving such correct advice such as the fact that I am the superior between Orpheus and I. So what should we do about the mortal?”

“Now, I know what you’re implying, and dear brother, I don’t believe this mortal woman deserves death, for after all this is her first digression against you or I.”

“Very true. But her punishment should suit her crime.”

“Well, don’t think too hard now, I have a plan.”

Julia clapped her hands, dancing freely in the forum as she indulged in the great Orpheus’ music. Her heart swelled with the melody, becoming incapured in the beautiful sound. She decided she would be happy if this was the last sound she ever heard. 

The gods approached the concert, and Apollo looked down at the large crowd. Though he blessed Orpheus with his golden lyre, he never expected the mortal to overtake his own skill. No, he expected the public at least to respect his authority over the musical arts. 

As Apollo was the god of medicine, he had the power to make people sick, or take away certain healthy privileges. While the young’s ears never seemed to fade, Apollo decided that Julia, since she wouldn't listen to a god’s advice, and she didn't appreciate a god’s music, she deserved to never hear anything ever again.

He let her last sound be Orpeus’ music before letting her ears fade and left her alone and unable to hear a single noise. Her ears became as old as the eldest man in her village and she was left without any music in the world. Not the birdsong, not the babbling brook, not even the god’s advice. 


End file.
